Hemming attachment for blindstitch machines



June 20, 1967 A. PAOLICELLI HEMMING ATTACHMENT FOR BLINDSTITCH MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,326,155 HEMMING ATTACHMENT FOR BLINDSTITCH MACHINES Anthony Paolicelli, 261 Odeil Ave-,

Yonkers, N.Y. 10703 Filed Oct. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 405,754 4 Claims. (Cl. 112141) This invention relates to attachment devices for sewing machines, and more paritcul-arly has as its objective the provision of a hemming attachment for a particular type of sewing machine known as a blindstitch machine, whereby the edge portion of a garment or piece of material is folded in and blindstitched to form the hem, facing or cuff, in a single operation.

In the present state of the art hems are formed in two separate operations. In the first operation the raw edge of the material is turned in and stitched in place to form the fold, or a strip of tape is sewn to the edge. In the second operation the material is folded back to form the hem or cuff and then blindstitched in place to complete the operation.

The principal object of my invention, therefor, is to provide a hemming attachment for blindstitch machines or the like, by means of which the raw edge of a garment can be folded in and blindstitched to form the hem or cuff in a single operation.

A second important object of my invention lies in the provision of a hemming attachment for blindstitch machines which can be moved out of the line of operation when not in use, without removing the attachment from the machine.

A third important object of my invention lies in the provision of a hemming attachment for blindstitch machines which is provided for spacing means between its hemming element and its attachment element so as to permit sewing of hems and cuffs in varying widths with the same attachment.

Still another important object of my invention lies in the provision of ahemming attachment which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to install and easy to operate.

These, and other salient objects, advantages and functional features, will become more readily apparent from an examination of the following specification, taken With the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, shown attached to a blindstitch machine and ready for operation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with the base plate of the machine partly broken away, the pivoting direction of the hemming arm shown by phantom lines; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the hemming element of FIG. 2, showing the formation of a fold in the hem of a garment prior to the stitching operation.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the different views.

Illustrative of the embodiment shown, my hemming attachment is shown, in FIG. 1, secured to the base plate 12 of a standard blindstitch machine 14, with the hemming element 16 positioned in front of the stitchforming mechanism of the machine 14. The machine 14, here shown, is one manufactured by the Lewis Sewing Machine Co. Inc., of N.Y., and is designated as Lewis 150-2. It is a blindstitch machine which, by operation of its rotatively reciprocating needle 18, secures two layers of material together in such a fashion that the securing stitches are not visible on the bottom surface of the lower layer of material, which forms the outer, or visible, surface of the garment. Blindstitching is so well known in the art that, it is believed, further description herein is superfluous and unnecessary.

, 3,325,155 Patented June 20, 1967 The hemming attachment 10 comprises an L plate 20, by means of which the attachment 10 is anchored to the base plate 12 of the machine 14, a bridge :arm 24 pivotally secured to the plate 20, and a hemming element 16 secured to the free end of the bridge arm 24. The anchoring side of the plate 20 is provided with a longitudinal slot 22, through which it is anchored to the base plate 12 by means of screws 30 passed through the slot 22 and screwed into threaded openings 32 in the base plate 12. The bridge arm 24 is formed with a Hat portion 34 extending into a raised, or bridge, portion 36 in the form of an inverted U defining a roof 38 and side walls 41) and 42. The free end of the flat portion 34 is pivotally secured to the free end of the plate 20 by means of a rivet 44 secured through corresponding openings in each, so that the pivotal movement of the bridge arm 24 is in the same plane as that of the plate 20. A burr 46, provided On the .side of plate 20 adjacent the edge of the bridge arm 24 limits rotation of the bridge arm 24 in one direction to a position parallel to the anchoring side of the plate 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and permits rotation away from such position, as is shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 2.

The hemming element 16 is secured to and extends laterally from the free end of the wall 40 in the direction of the wall 42, and comprises a thin sheet of flat metal curved in one direction to form a channel 52, and thereafter curved in the opposite direction, with the second, or reverse curve, portion crirnped so that the opposite ends of the metal sheet form a pair of spaced, fiat parallel foils 48 and 50 extending on lateral planes in the direction of the wall 42, as shown by FIGS. 2 and 3, with the lower foil 50 extending further than the upper foil 48, and both foils 48 and 50 being tapered, with their reduced portions at the front side of the bridge arm 24 disposed furthest from the machine needle 18. The channel 52 formed thereby extends behind, below and beneath the bottom surface of the foil 59, as shown by FIG. 3, thereby creating an opening between the foils 48 and 50 adapted to receive and curve a piece of material, inserted therethrough, to form a fold in the edge thereof, as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom surface of the metal sheet forming the channel 52 is flattened, so as to lie on the same plane as the bottom'surface of the flat portion 34 of the bridge arm 24, whereby the folds created in the inserted material are brought into registry with the machine needle 18.

It will be noted, in FIG. 1, that machine 14 is provided with a narrow elongated base 54, so that narrow, circular pieces of material, such as sleeves, trouser legs, front facings and the like may be passed around the base 54, and the portion to be sewn lined up in front of and below the stitching mechanism of the machine 14. Where large areas of material, such as coat edges and the like, are to be blindstitched, the machine 14 is provided with a work plate 56 (shown in FIG. 1, partly broken away and pivotted away from the base 54), which may be swung over toward the stitching mechanism to provide a larger work-supporting surface. This latter position will not interfere with the hemming attachment 10, nor affect its operation.

In securing the hemming attachment 10 to the machine 14, the bracket plate 20 is first lined up so that the slot 22 is directly over the openings 32 in the base plate 12, with the hemming element 16 disposed in the direction of the needle 18. Screws 30 are passed through the slot 22 and threaded into available openings 32, but not completely. The plate 20 is then adjusted laterally so that the hemming element 16 is disposed directly in front of, and below, the stitching mechanism of the machine 14, so that the channel 52 is directly in front of the area where the needle 18 is adapted to engage the material. The screws 30 are then tightened in place.

In the operation of the hemming attachment where a sleeve is to be hemmed, the inverted sleeve is passed, raw edge foremost, around the machine base 54, below the attachment 10 and past the hemming element 16, and is then folded up and over on itself in the amount of the required hem, plus the additional amount required for the fold. The edge is then forced by the operator between the foils 43 and 50, passing through the channel 52, causing the edge to curve into that part of the channel 52 which is below the foil 50, as shown in FIG. 3, where 58 designates the sleeve, 60 the hem portion and 62 the fold portion. Held in this position by the operator, the pressure foot of the machine 14 is depressed on to the material and the machine 14 activated, the sewing operation drawing the sleeve, thus folded, beneath the needle 18, which blind stitches the folded hem. The operator continues to maintain the hem and fold in this position, shown by FIG. 3, until the entire hem is so blindstitched.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the hemming attachment 10 may be made in various sizes, so as to provide different width areas between the walls 40 and 42 for hems of difierent widths, although it is clearly to be understood that one size of attachment 10 can accornodate hems of substantial variance in widths desired. It is also to be noted that, while the invention herein is applied to a blindstitch machine, it may as easily be applied to other types of sewing machines which, as the machine herein, are provided with base plates having threaded openings for the receipt of screws or other attaching means.

While the embodiment shown and described is a preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood that it is not intended to be considered as a limitation in any way, but that my invention is intended to encompass all of the features of novelty possible within the scope of the disclosure. Various changes may thus be made in the construction, composition and arrangement of parts without limitation upon or departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A hemming attachment for a blindstitch machine provided with a base plate having threaded openings therein, comprising a bracket plate,

screw means to anchor the bracket plate to the base plate,

a bridge arm comprising a flat portion pivotally secured at one end to the bracket plate,

an inverted U-shape bridge portion having one end of the U-shape connected to the other end of the bridge arm and the other end of the U-shape having a free end,

a hemming element secured to the free end of the bridge portion, disposed between the bridge walls and adapted to.be swung into a fixed position in front of and in registry with the stitching mechanism of the machine by the pivotal shifting of the bridge arm,

the hemming element comprising a thin metal sheet curved in one direction and thereafter curved in the reverse direction, with the second curve crimped forming a pair of parallel tapered foils disposed on spaced lateral planes,

the portion of the metal sheet intermediate the foils being curved defining an open channel extending behind, below and beneath the lower foil and adapted to receive and curve the edge of a piece of cloth passed between the foils and moved in the direction of the stitching mechanism,

whereby activation of the latter stitches the cloth to form a continuous hem provided with an inwardly turned fold.

2. A hemming attachment as described in claim 1, the bracket plate anchoring means comprising an elongated slot in the bracket plate adapted to adjust the bracket plate laterally with respect to the base plate.

3. A hemming attachment as described in claim 1, the lower foil extending laterally beyond the edge of the upper foil.

4. A hemming attachment as described in claim 1, a burr provided on the bracket plate adjacent the edge of the bridge arm adapted to confine pivotal movement of the bridge arm within a prescribed arc.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 815,026 3/1906 Luhrs 112-l52 X 879,621 2/1908 Foschinbaur 112142 1,214,133 1/1917 Chalman 112-137 1,875,578 9/1932 Feigel et al 112136 3,142,277 7/1964 Jordan 112-143 FOREIGN PATENTS 748,444 8/ 1956 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HEMMING ATTACHMENT FOR A BLINDSTITCH MACHINE PROVIDED WITH A BASE PLATE HAVING THREADED OPENINGS THEREIN, COMPRISING A BRACKET PLATE, SCREW MEANS TO ANCHOR THE BRACKET PLATE TO THE BASE PLATE, A BRIDGE ARM COMPRISING A FLAT PORTION PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE END TO THE BRACKET PLATE, AN INVERTED U-SHAPED BRIDGE PORTION HAVING ONE END OF THE U-SHAPED CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF THE BRIDGE ARM AND THE OTHER END OF THE U-SHAPED HAVING A FREE END, A HEMMING ELEMENT SECURED TO THE FREE END OF THE BRIDGE PORTION, DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BRIDGE WALLS AND ADAPTED TO BE SWUNG INTO A FIXED POSITION IN FRONT OF AND IN REGISTRY WITH THE STITCHING MECHANISM OF THE MACHINE BY THE PIVOTAL SHIFTING OF THE BRIDGE ARM, THE HEMMING ELEMENT COMPRISING A THIN METAL SHEET CURVED IN ONE DIRECTION AND THEREAFTER CURVED IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION, WITH THE SECOND CURVE CRIMPED FORMING A PAIR OF PARALLEL TAPERED FOILS DISPOSED ON SPACED LATERAL PLANES, THE PORTION OF THE METAL SHEET INTERMEDIATE THE FOILS BEING CURVED DEFINING AN OPEN CHANNEL EXTENDING BEHIND, BELOW AND BENEATH THE LOWER FOIL AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND CURVE THE EDGE OF A PIECE OF CLOTH PASSED BETWEEN THE FOILS AND MOVED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE STITCHING MECHANISM, WHEREBY ACTIVATION OF THE LATTER STITCHES THE CLOTH TO FORM A CONTINUOUS HEM PROVIDED WITH AN INWARDLY TURNED FOLD. 